Varvara Ardalionovna Ivolgin (Varya) Character Analysis in The Idiot

23-year-old Varya is the only daughter of General and Nina Ivolgin. She is Ganya and Kolya’s sister. A practical person, she marries the wealthy Ptitsyn just when her family’s finances fall to a truly desperate state. She is also constantly trying to help Ganya move up through the world, although the two at times have a tense relationship.

Varvara Ardalionovna Ivolgin (Varya) Character Timeline in The Idiot

The timeline below shows where the character Varvara Ardalionovna Ivolgin (Varya) appears in The Idiot. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Social Hierarchy, Authority, and Rebellion Theme Icon

...General Ivolgin, his 13-year-old brother Kolya, his mother Nina Alexandrovna, and his sister Varvara Ardalionovna (Varya). One of the current tenants is Ferdyshchenko. Overall, the apartment is “cramped and squeezed,” which... (full context)

Currently, Nina and Varya are sitting with a visitor, Ivan Petrovich Ptitsyn. Nina is about 50 and sickly-looking, with... (full context)

Varya announces that dinner is ready and Ivolgin reluctantly abandons his storytelling to leave. Nina explains... (full context)

Passion, Violence, and Christianity Theme Icon

...shocked into silence. Nastasya has never visited them before, presumably out of “haughtiness.” Nina and Varya attempt to make an effort with Nastasya, but she interrupts the introductions to ask where... (full context)

...he only just noticed what was going on, and everyone laughs. Kolya starts crying, and Varya demands that someone remove “this shameless woman” (Nastasya) from the apartment. (full context)

Ganya is horrified and tries to drag Varya away, but she spits in his face. Ganya then tries to strike her, but Myshkin... (full context)

...only wants to marry her for money. Myshkin admits that he doesn’t really like Ganya. Varya enters and asks why Myshkin told Nastasya that she isn’t “like that,” considering the two... (full context)

Varya leaves, and Myshkin observes that Ganya should be careful if he’s just marrying Nastasya for... (full context)

...money from Ivolgin and then makes him pay her back with interest, whereas Nina and Varya give Ippolit and the other children money because their mother neglects them. Ippolit is very... (full context)

...he quits his job, perhaps due to humiliation over everything that has happened to him. Varya marries Ptitsyn, supposedly because with Ganya not working, the family needs income. (full context)

...dramatic events of Nastasya’s party, reached the Epanchin women almost immediately. It possibly came via Varya, who became close to the Epanchin sisters very quickly. Mrs. Epanchin has a low opinion... (full context)

After Myshkin left, Kolya initially kept going about his life as usual. Ferdyshchenko disappeared. After Varya got married, Nina and Ganya moved with her to Ptitsyn’s house, while General Ivolgin got... (full context)

...delighted that both Kolya and General Ivolgin come to visit. Ganya also comes, along with Varya and Ptitsyn. Lebedev makes a big show of protecting Myshkin from too much stimulation, until... (full context)

...appears, announcing that Mrs. Epanchin and her three daughters have come to visit. Meanwhile, Ptitsyn, Varya, Ganya, and General Ivolgin simultaneously arrive from the other side of the terrace. The Epanchins... (full context)

...that although he is rich, it is known that his estate is struck by “disorder.” Varya comes by, and mentions that Evgeny is in St. Petersburg, as is Ptitsyn. Something has... (full context)

...family about Ganya, although Kolya doesn’t know exactly what happened. Shortly after, Mrs. Epanchin threw Varya out of the house without her daughters knowing. (full context)

...friend and a true brother.” Mrs. Epanchin then turns to discussing Ganya. She believes that Varya has ingratiated herself to the Epanchin family in order to facilitate a marriage between Aglaya... (full context)

A week after Myshkin and Nastasya’s meeting in the park, Varya returns home from a visit with friends, feeling thoughtful and troubled. The narrator then embarks... (full context)

...and this arrangement. He resentfully calls Ptitsyn a Jew because of his success in finance. Varya, meanwhile, is a sensible, ordinary person, and doesn’t mind not being special. Her decision to... (full context)

That morning in Pavlovsk, Varya comes home from the visit with her friends and hears Ganya shouting inside their house.... (full context)

Varya says that Aglaya laughs at Myshkin all day in order to conceal her true feelings.... (full context)

Before Varya leaves the room, Ganya suggests it was Ippolit who told Nina about General Ivolgin’s visit... (full context)

Ippolit enthusiastically lists all of Ganya’s bad traits until Varya begs him to stop, at which point he leaves without saying anything more. Once he... (full context)

When Varya told Ganya about Myshkin’s engagement to Aglaya, she exaggerated the extent to which it was... (full context)

...him the letter, which is actually the note Aglaya wrote to Ganya asking him and Varya to meet her in the park. (full context)

...Ivolgin’s stroke. Hoping to help in some way, Myshkin stays at Nina’s, where she and Varya remain constantly at Ivolgin’s bedside. Ganya, meanwhile, is in a state of profound distress but... (full context)

...bench that day, but that when he sat down to Aglaya he saw Ganya and Varya coming along. However, Aglaya’s encounter with the brother and sister only lasted a second. She... (full context)

Ganya was humiliated, and Varya had to drag him away. Ippolit himself was there to arrange a meeting between Aglaya... (full context)